Tips to Remove Mold

Many parts of the US have suffered from flooding this year. When your basement gets wet because of flooding or any other water problem, wet carpet and drywall must be tossed. Water will continue to seep farther into carpet edges if wet places are not cut out.

The following steps will help keep you and your home safe from mold.

1. Wear protective clothing, goggles and gloves when cleaning out wet and moldy items. A respirator may be needed if conditions are extreme.

2. Ventilate to outdoors and seal off moldy areas from the rest of the building to prevent spores from being released throughout the house. Open windows and turn off central air systems. Tape plastic over air grills and drape plastic to seal.

3. Remove and dispose of moldy material in plastic bags, if possible. Never reuse flooded carpet padding. Remove vinyl wallpaper, flooring and other materials that may prevent drying from underneath. Clean and disinfect valuable items outside of the home if you are attempting to salvage them.

4. Remove molds. Don't just kill mold spores because dead spores have the same health effects as live spores. Mold can be removed from non-porous materials such as hard plastic, concrete, glass metal and sold wood. Follow directions and do not use bleach with ammonia and acids. Do not use pressure washers as they may force water into materials. Use 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water after cleaning to ensure safety. Hire someone to test your basement air quality before you seal the walls or install carpet or tile.

5. Use borate treatments. Apply to wood to resist mold termites and decay. Penetrating type is more expensive, but it gives best protection.

6. Use fans to remove lingering spores being sure to keep windows open.

7. Speed dry by closing windows and using several fans, air conditioners or heaters and dehumidifiers to dry wet materials as quickly as possible. Keep windows open, however, if electricity is off.

8. Watch for new mold. Mold can reappear in two or three days. If it does, immediately repeat cleaning process and use speed drying equipment. Moisture meters are available to help you know when area is dry.

9. Never attempt to restore area until all materials and entire area is completely dry and damaged areas removed.

10. Before replacing give serious consideration to type of replacement products. Elevate equipment, wiring and storage. Should you just paint the floor or use an area rug rather than re-carpeting? Would any work outside your home help prevent serious flooding in the future? Do you have a sump pump? Should you invest in a generator or back up battery system? If you know that any future heavy rainfall will likely always flood your basement, think twice before spending considerable amounts of money to restore it.

Remember if something is really special, perhaps the basement floor isn't the best place to store it. Even if your basement doesn't usually flood, a pipe or water heat can cause you lots of unplanned grief.